Vanuatu Smile

It’s official. Vanuatu has just been named one of the world’s ten happiest places in 2010 by Lonely Planet in its international travel guide. This follows a similar nomination in 2006 where the Happy Planet Index saw the people of Vanuatu as being happy in their daily activities, living a long life and doing little damage to the planet.

This result was based on a survey conducted by the New Economics Foundation and the Friends of the Earth. The Happy Planet Index was compiled to prove that people can live long, happy lives without consuming large amounts of the Earth’s resources.

Lonely Planet’s 2010 announcement described the archipelago as having white sandy beaches, blue waters teeming with life, lush vegetation and a scenic environment. The guide stated that all this and more was reflected in the happy smiles of the local Ni - Vanuatu people.

Vanuatu Post celebrates this award from Lonely Planet and with their permission has released a stamp issue featuring ten smiling faces that collectively reflect life in Vanuatu. The issue is entitled “Smile with Us” and shows Vanuatu smiling in various formats, occasionally challenging the viewer to determine how the smile is represented.